I, We, Pack
by Quecksilver Eyes
Summary: At first there is I. Then there is pack. Or: Blue gains everything and loses it again.


At first, there is I. I is small and fragile and cold and I knows nothing but the egg that lies shattered on the floor. I screams because it is cold and white and bright.  
There is a voice just above I's head and I turns to face it, face the voice that is cooing and soothing and babbling. I does not understand what the voice says, but there are eyes and warm touches on I's scales and I stops , Baby Blue, the voice says.  
I stares at the eyes and knows, just like I knows how to scream and how to scream and how to breathe, that this is alpha.

I is now we. We is pack and pack is a human and a dinosaur. Pack runs. Pack hunts. Pack eats. Alpha is strong and caring and alpha would never do anything to harm pack, so pack trusts him. Pack eats what alpha provides, pack hunts when alpha gets on the big wheeled machine because alpha is not as fast as pack.  
Pack is happy.

Pack is now five. Pack is now a human and four dinosaurs. Pack cares for the weaker members, for the three little hatchlings that stumble and fall and don't know how to run or how to hunt.  
Pack shows them and alpha names the hatchlings. Those are your sisters, Baby Blue, he says. Pack nods and growls, anticipation tight in pack's muscles.

Pack grows.  
Pack screeches, pack hisses, pack knows that clicking sounds mean that pack has been good and pack stands in the paddock, eyes on alpha who smells a bit like prey but doesn't act like prey because he doesn't run and because he's not afraid.  
Alpha tosses pack little treats that aren't much more than bones and fur, but pack eats them anyway because it makes alpha happy.

Pack is hungry.  
There's a loud noise and a scream and suddenly there's something in the paddock with pack, something that smells like alpha but also smells like prey and pack hasn't hunted in a long time and pack is angry because the creature that smells like alpha is in pack's territory and pack roars at it. Go away, pack growls, you are not alpha.  
The creature starts fleeing. Pack starts hunting.

Alpha jumps between pack and creature that is now prey. He shouts something, but he's not talking to pack. When he does talk to pack, he calls their names, calm and angry. Pack does not listen, pack is hungry, pack is frustrated because there's prey right there and alpha won't let pack hunt.  
Alpha turns and runs, the sharp scent of fear lingers in pack's nostrils and pack runs after fleeing alpha.  
Pack doesn't hunt, pack is angry.

Alpha is scared. Pack knows that and pack growls and tugs at the restraints on pack's snouts, cold metal digging into their flesh. Alpha is not there, pack cannot smell him. Instead, there's the one who helps alpha and he talks to pack softly.  
And then there's the other one whose smell reminds pack of alpha but who isn't alpha, the one who smells like threat to pack and danger.  
He touches pack and pack roars.

Pack is in the boxes again but there's no metal against pack's snout and nothing to hold pack in place and there's the fresh smell of meat, of prey, in pack's nostrils and alpha makes clicking sounds so pack knows that pack has been good.  
Then the doors are open and pack storms out, joy vibrating in pack's screeches and alpha finally hunts with pack again.

Prey is big. Prey is bigger than pack expected and prey doesn't act like prey, prey is not afraid and prey doesn't run and prey talks. Prey is different from pack, but prey is more similar to pack than alpha is and pack turns around to face alpha.  
Join us, pack growls. Pack is hungry and pack is hunting and there's a new member that has to be fed.

Alpha runs.  
Alpha marks himself as prey and pack's instincts are taking over, telling pack to hunt, to eat, to roar. So pack hunts.  
Alpha is not alpha anymore because alpha is now prey and pack is now predator.

Pack is now four.  
One of them died and rage flows hot through pack's trembling bodies and new alpha does not care that pack is hurt, tells them to kill, kill, kill, kill anything that moves because it is threat to pack.  
Pack stands in front of alpha who is now prey and who stares at them, eyes wide, limbs trembling.  
He touches pack and suddenly pack is calm, pack's anger is gone and alpha who is now prey doesn't smell like prey anymore because he looks into pack's eyes and he touches pack and he is not scared anymore.  
New alpha tells them to kill and pack roars.

Join us, pack growls and alpha does, whistling and hunting with them. Pack vibrates with joy as pack hunts down new alpha who is threat to pack, who is threat to alpha.

Pack is now two. Pack is a dinosaur and a human but it doesn't matter that pack is small again because alpha is there with pack, alpha protects. Pack will grow again.  
Pack growls softly, exhaustion dragging at pack's legs, chest rising and falling rapidly, but alpha shakes his head.

Pack is not pack anymore. Pack is now I.  
At first, there was I who knew nothing but the egg that lay shattered on the floor and now there is I who knows nothing but its alpha who leaves and its pack who died.


End file.
